1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to measuring at least magnetic fields and, more particularly, to an integrated sensor system for measuring vector components of magnetic fields, preferably along with electric fields.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
Measurements of electric and magnetic fields at low frequencies, generally less than 1 kHz, have been made for many years using discrete sensors to measure the electric field (E-field) and magnetic field (B-field) separately. In addition, it has been proposed to integrate electric and magnetic components into a single sensor. However, when a high level of sensitivity is required, individual sensors are invariably utilized to measure desired components of each field. For example, to make a magnetotelluric measurement, individual magnetic induction sensors are laid on the ground at a separation of a few meters and rods are buried in the ground nearby to measure the horizontal electric field. In most cases, the respective sensors must all be aligned relative to one another and mounted with sufficient rigidity to minimize relative motion. Depending on the accuracy required, such an installation can take a significant time to complete and requires an area in the order of 10 m2 to operate.
Prior high sensitivity induction sensors have been too large to integrate together. While one cylindrical object of length even up to 2 m is relatively easy to handle and transport, a system comprised of two or three such sensors at right angles to each other, if even contemplated, would be very cumbersome. In addition, prior induction sensors designed for detection of small low frequency signals had diameters in the order of 3 cm or more. Simply stated, prior induction sensors and arrangements that involve them are quite large and sub-optimal, while being inefficient to set-up and operate.
In many applications, the ability to reasonably employ a dual field sensor system will depend on the compactness and even weight of the system. These applications include the installation of dual field sensors in aircraft, spacecraft and ground vehicles, as well as situations where the sensor system must be deployed in a certain way such as hand or air-drop deployment situations. The time consuming set-up and lack of compactness in prior proposals has essentially limited the use of collected E-field and B-field information to geophysical applications, such as magnetotellurics and the measurement of lightning, wherein the sensors can be positioned over a relatively wide area.
When electric and magnetic field data has been collected together, the objective has generally been to collect an individual field parameter as a record of a specific physical phenomena, e.g. lightning. However, the present Applicants have recognized that specific vector components of known orientation in the electric and magnetic field data can be combined to produce a reduced output. For instance, new combined electric and magnetic measurement applications arise, including using information in one measurement channel, e.g., an electric field vector component, to reduce environmental noise in other channels, e.g., multiple magnetic field vector components. In addition, the ratio of various signals in different electric and magnetic axes can be determined to provide source characteristic capabilities.
Based on the above, there exists a need to combine one or more electric field sensors with one or more magnetic field sensors to establish an integrated sensor system which is compact in nature in order to employ the sensor system in a wide range of applications. In addition, there exists a benefit to be able to readily combine different data from individual axes of such an integrated sensor system in order to take advantage of particular relationships between the electric and magnetic fields that pertain to certain properties of the environment or source(s) of interest.